St Nightfalls Academy: A Vampire Prodigy -Sequel
by C.N96
Summary: Aria Lestivas' life has been rewritten. She no longer fears the unknown; she craves it. After a lengthy struggle to adjust, Jackson finally teachers her how to be a Vampire. Her powers are more prominent than she ever imagined & her love for Jackson can now progress. But more problems arise when Victoria attempts to use Aria for her own agenda. The Sequel to St. Nightfalls Academy
1. The Awakening

She wakes. Its not just her entire body that wakes, its her new soul. Shes lying down. Her chest aches as she breathes, air burns her lungs. She coughs, her throat feels like its been cut by razor blades. She tries to open her eyes, but her brain wont respond. Everything hurts. She lifts her hands to her neck, and she feels her skin; its smoother than before. Then she remembers.

Her hands fly to her stomach, but the knife is gone. In her mind she screams, she shouldn't have moved. It hurts so much. Her coat isn't there, its just a fine layer of cotton that separates her fingers and her skin. The wound is gone. _I'm dead. This is what death feels like. _She manages to stretch her arms out beside her, and she winces. She feels soft satin underneath her. She feels the soft plush ground beneath her. In her mind she frowns. She tries to open her eyes again, this time it works.

The first thing she sees is the white ceiling above her. She can see the brush strokes of the paint, and every speck of dust that is stuck into it. She tries to turn her head, her neck wont respond. She looks around, and she sees a wooden column, draped with cream transparent cloth. Her head pounds, and so does her stomach where her wound should be.

She wants to move, to see where death has taken her but its impossible. The pain is unbearable. She wants to cry. She hears soft thumps across the ground, she knows something is coming towards her.

'Aria.' a man says quietly. its so quiet she shouldn't be able to hear it, but she does. Her eyes dart to the left, as far as she can and suddenly he appears.

Jackson stands beside her looking down at her. _NO! He cant be dead too!_

She looks at him, her eyes welling up with tears.

'You're okay. We're okay...' he whispers to her as he strokes her hair. She wants to scream and run away.

He looks calm and relaxed as he notices tears in her eyes. 'Aria, you're not dead. You're safe. I'm here...' he whispers more soothing words to her.

He continues to speak softly. 'I know you're in pain. I know you cant move. You need to relax and try to ignore the pain while i explain things...' he sits carefully next to her.

'Aria, you're back at the academy. we're in your room and you're lying on your bed...' he says. she looks at him, her eyes shine with water.

'I don't know if you remember, but William through a knife at you. It hit you in the stomach, and you lost a lot of blood...' he places his hand back in his lap.

'Aria, you were on the edge of death. We thought you _were _dead. I know you wouldn't have wanted to die.' he runs his fingers through his tangled hair. its getting too long now.

'I had no other choice. Aria, I turned you in the woods just before you died. You drank enough of my blood just before we left the hotel that you didn't die straight away. It kept you alive long enough for me to turn you.' he looks back at her, his eyes damp now.

A single tear rolls down her cheek. _I'm a vampire._

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to die. I was stupid and left you unprotected. I never wanted to take away your humanity...' A blood drop streaks his face.

_Jackson no! Please don't... I'm not dead. This is what i wanted all along! _

'Jack...' Aria mumbles before she stops midway through. Its too painful. He looks at her.

'Don't try to talk. The pain wont go away for another hour or so. Then you'll be able to get up and move. I want you to know that i tried my hardest to keep you from this life. You are too perfect. But I am selfish, and to be honest, I'm so glad you're here; even though you're like me now.' he reaches down and places his hand over hers as lightly as he can. She closes her eyes to try and ignore the pain. Its a good pain. She opens her eyes again.

'Try to sleep. I will still be here when you wake up, i promise.' Jackson stands from the bed and disappears from her sight. She closes her eyes again and the pain slowly dissipates. She drifts off to sleep.

Her eyes fly open. The pain is completely gone. Jackson is already beside her when she opens her eyes. she turns her head and looks at him. He's smiling, but his bottom eyelids are beginning to turn red. He holds out his hand and she grabs it, slowly sitting up. She looks down at herself. Her jeans are dirty but her singlet is clean. She knows someone must've changed her clothes. She looks at her bare arms, noticing how pale her skin is now. She reaches up and touches her face.

'Hey...' he says to her, getting her attention. She looks at him and slides her legs over the edge of the bed.

'I love you'

She blinks. 'Jackson.' she breathes as he leans down and hugs her. He squeezes her tightly and she wraps her arms around his neck.

'I love you too' When he pulls away she stands, noticing how different it feels. She looks at her feet, she feels taller somehow. She smiles.

'Being a vampire suits you' he laughs a little. He takes her hand and pulls her toward her wardrobe. He pulls open the door and moves Aria to stand in front of it. She freezes.

The first thing she notices are her eyes. They've always been blue, but they're glowing Aqua now. Her hair is a paler blond now, and it ends just below her breasts. Her face is pale, her lips are redder than before. She's a new kind of beautiful.

'This isn't me...' she says as she touches her hair.

'Yes it is. Being a vampire enhances your natural features. It normally takes away most of the colour, but you're lucky with your lips...' he says, placing his hands on her waist.

'Why are my eyes so blue? Yours are golden...' she looks over her shoulder slightly.

'I've never seen any vampire with eyes like yours. Harley has green eyes, but that's because she wears contacts.'

_I didn't know that. They looked so real..._

'Aria, you're even more beautiful than you were before.' he continues, placing a light kiss on her shoulder. It sends shivers and sparks throughout her body. His touch doesn't feel cold like before. She looks at him.

He chuckles. 'Its weird isn't it? Everything is amplified.' She looks back at her reflection.

'I cant believe this.' she says astounded. Jackson pulls a jumper of a hanger in her wardrobe and hands it to her. She slips it on.

Jackson heads towards the door of her room just before Aria calls out to him.

'Where is William? Are the warriors okay?' she asks.

'William is dead. The warriors are all in one piece.' he says opening the door.

'Even Heath? His neck just...' she shakes her head.

'A broken neck doesn't kill us. It just knocks us out for a good while. He's absolutely fine. Come, they want to see you.'

Aria follows him out the door and into her new life.


	2. The Experiences

Jackson and Aria reach the top of the stairs in the lobby. Just from walking down the corridor she can tell how different she is now. She feels lighter, but she doesn't know how that's possible. Jackson takes her hand and they slowly walk down the stairs. Aria holds it tightly, hoping she wont slip. She needs time to adjust to her new body.

They eventually make it to the Warriors common room. Aria feels nervous, meeting her friends again as a whole new person. she shivers.

Jackson looks at her 'You okay?' he asks as he places his hand on the door handle. She takes a deep breath, more for the effect rather than the need.

'Yes.' she sighs. Jackson opens the door.

Heath, Julian and Finn stand in the middle of the room. they were expecting her. It is silent. Jackson walks inside while Aria waits just outside the door.

'Come on, we've already seen your ugly old face, where is she?' aria hears someone call out from inside. she giggles. She even sounds different. She swings open the door and slowly walks inside.

The men look at her. Heaths mouth hangs open. The others just stare.

'I cant believe it...' Heath says after a while, before quickly hugging her. she laughs.

'Last thing i remember is you hitting a tree!' she says, and Jackson notices her eyes getting red. He walks over to her.

'Hey, no more sad stuff. I don't want her to experience crying yet.' Jackson says playfully before prying them apart.

'You're even more attractive than you were before.' Finn blurts out from across the room. He mustn't have thought about what he was saying, because he quickly walks off out of sight. Aria smiles, she's never felt so confident before.

'Its the eyes...' Julian says, squinting at her. 'That's pretty rare. You have some strong genes.' he finishes before nodding his approval.

'Thank you.' Aria feels a little embarrassed. Jackson wraps his arm around her waist. Every touch feels different, it startles her.

'This is all really weird. But i cant thank you enough for everything...' Aria says. She coughs a little.

Heath laughs at her. 'The air thing is probably the hardest thing to get used to; besides the running and the blood drinking...' he winks at her.

_Blood..._ Aria suddenly goes serious. She didn't realise how hungry she was, and how good that word sounds. In an instant, a sharp pain throbs in her mouth. Her hand flies up to cover it, she knows what it will be. Jackson tightens his grip on her waist,

'Heath i knew you'd do this...' Jackson glares at him. He looks legitimately looks sorry.

Arias fangs slice through her gums in a blink of an eye. she squeezes her eyes shut and lets out a yelp. Its almost as painful as being stabbed. Her eyes fly open and she clamps her mouth shut.

Jackson turns her to him. 'Open your mouth, if you don't you'll cut up your lower gums pretty bad.' he says. She shakes her head.

He pulls back her hand and tugs on her bottom jaw. Two large pearly white fangs appear, that end at a solid sharp point. Jackson inhales quickly.

'You should see them. They're bigger than mine.' he says astounded. And its the truth. they're a considerable amount larger than his.

She pulls back and runs towards the bathroom. She doesn't realise what's happened when she runs into a door.

_What?_

Jackson appears next to her. 'Righto, steady on. No more rushing you're not ready for that yet...' he says opening the door to the bathroom.

'I did that?' Aria asks, her words unclear because of her fangs. He nods. She speed ran up stairs and didn't even realise.

Aria looks in the mirror. Her fangs scrape her lower gums, but its not too painful.

'I cant believe this is actually me. Like, what even are these?' she asks rhetorically as she lifts a finger to her fang. She draws blood and watches it heal.

'This is incredible.' she laughs a little. Jackson smiles.

'Enough with the self hurt. You know what will happen, there's no point doing it again...' he says jokingly as she repeats it on another finger tip. she smiles over her shoulder and walks up to him.

'I don't understand how you didn't enjoy this.' she says wrapping her arms around his waist. He pulls her backward so they're not in the bathroom anymore.

'There are bad things about this too Aria. you will discover them eventually.' he says as he plants a kiss on her forehead.

She shivers. She didn't realise she'd be so sensitive to things. She stretches to kiss him, but he pulls back.

'You need to put those away first' he says gesturing to her mouth.

'How?'

'Just, I don't know. Tell yourself to retract them. Imagine yourself doing it.'

She closes her eyes as does as she's told. They're gone in a heartbeat; well, would be if she had one. she smiles and kisses him. invisible sparks fly across her skin. their kisses have never been like this before; aria loves it. she runs her fingers though his hair.

Jackson breaks free, he seems a little breathless.

'You're puffed?' she asks him

'No. Breathing is something you have to force yourself to do, especially in public. Being puffed is just a habit i suppose...'

She nods. It makes sense, but she'll need time to learn how to breathe again. Air burns her lungs if she does. She leans up to kiss him again but he steps back.

'We have time for this later. We have other stuff to do.' he says, taking her hand and walking back down stairs.

'Ill remember that' she says playfully.

In the common room kitchen, Jackson hands her a glass bottle. Its full of blood, and it has the same label as the one she found in her bedroom fridge a month ago.

'It takes a while to figure out which type you can stomach.' he says. She looks at it for a while, before she turns the cap and smells it. She cant explain the scent, but its good.

'So what if I don't like it?' she asks.

'We give you some other types to try until you find one you like.' He smiles

'So is this your favourite?' she winks at him.

'That's a personal question Miss Lestiva; but yes, at the moment it is.'

she brings the bottle to her lips and swallows a small amount. She didn't even blink an eye, she just did it. she splutters

'Gross! That tastes awful!' she says, giving the bottle back to him. He's laughing, and across the room she hears Heath laugh too.

'Okay then. Now we know...' He takes a mouthful before he pours the rest into the sink. Aria is still wiping her mouth when he cracks another.

'No way! I don't want anymore!' she shakes her head

'Its different. last one before we try again later, i promise.'

Aria frowns and takes a mouthful. Its worse than the last, and she has to spit it into the sink.

'I trusted you!' she yells at him. He's still laughing

'I'm sorry I honestly thought that would be better!'

They both laugh for a while.

'How come fangs don't come out while you're drinking blood, but when you hear the word blood they do?' Aria asks him.

'We can talk about that later. The headmistress will want to see you... and me' Jackson frowns.

He takes arias hand and they head towards the Headmistresses office.

The door is open when they arrive, and Victoria is standing by her window. She whirls around and looks at them.

'Oh my goddess...' Victoria says as she walks towards aria. she places her hands on Arias cheeks and admires her face. Aria doesn't move.

'You look just like her...' she strokes her hair. Aria feels awkward but says nothing. Victoria looks at Jackson and she frowns.

'You've broken our most important law, Jackson.' she folds her arms. Jackson is shocked

'Are you serious? I saved her! Would you have allowed her to die? A descendant of our goddess?' He's flustered.

'He saved my life. This would've happened to me anyway sooner or later, you said it yourself' Aria cuts in.

'Aria, you cannot have a say in this...' Victoria raises her voice.

'Honestly? I was the one that was turned!' aria yells back. 'Don't you dare think about punishing him!' She clenches her fists. Jackson places his hand on her back and she stops talking.

'You are in no position to dictate to me!' Victoria steps towards aria but Jackson steps between them

'With all due respect, Headmistress, but i wouldn't make her mad, Aria is very sensitive right now. _you_ don't even know what she's capable of as a newborn...'

Victoria blinks. 'Get out of my office.' she says.

'With pleasure...' Aria mumbles as they walk out. Jackson looks at her.

'That was dumb. Talking back and interrupting...'

'She was going to try and hand you some messed up punishment! You _helped_ me!' He holds up his hand and she goes silent.

'This conversation is over. we're not going to talk about this again, okay?'

'Fine.'

Once they arrive back at the common room, Aria samples the different types of blood. Half empty bottles sit on the new glass coffee table. Heath sits down beside Aria.

'You're being too fussy. You just need to tolerate one.' He says, picking up an open bottle from the table. Jackson hands her another, and Aria swallows and pulls a face.

'That's terrible!' she says, slamming the bottle down on the table. Jackson shakes his head.

'I literally have two bottles left. If you absolutely cannot settle on one of these, you will starve.' he says, cracking open another bottle. She looks at him

'They all burn my throat. They taste like metal'

She takes the bottle from his hand. The label says CW 3, and Aria guesses it probably stands for "cow". She scrunches her nose

'This isn't what i think it is, right?' She looks at Jackson.

'Yeah. It is.' He gives her a half smile. She takes a mouthful, which she spits back into the bottle. she makes gagging sounds.

'Okay okay we get it! no more...' Heath takes the bottle over to the sink. Jackson opens the last bottle slowly. The label says ML, and she has no idea what that means. She takes the bottle and sips it, she swallows.

'This is the most tolerable one, still tastes like crap.' she puts it down.

'finally! just drink that so you're not hungry anymore.' Jackson scoops up all the empty bottles in one go and takes them to the sink.

Aria drinks it, each mouthful burns more than the last. Its disgusting, but she's hungry.

'Can I sleep in my own room now?' She asks

'Yeah, all your stuff from the trip is back in your room anyway.' Jackson says, tossing bottle after bottle into the bin. 'You're able to look after yourself now' he smiles at her.

Aria looks at her now empty bottle. she stretches out a hand towards it.

'What are you doing?' Heath asks her

'Victoria said Isabella could move things with her hands' She flicks her hand to the right, but nothing happens.

'You're only hours old aria.' Jackson calls out from the kitchen. 'How about you concentrate on other things.'

Heath laughs a little. She punches him in the arm, and she hears a loud crack

'Fuck!' he yells, clutching his arm. Aria is startled

'I'm so sorry! I didn't think it would hurt! i was only supposed to tap you!' She leans over to him. His upper arm is kinked in the middle. She broke his arm. She gasps

'Holy shit, I'm so sorry!'

Jackson appears next to her. Heaths face is scrunched up, she really hurt him

'You punched him?' Jackson asks

'It was only supposed to be light! I never hurt anyone!' Her eyes well up. Suddenly she hears another loud click, and Heaths arm heals.

'Shit, you're strong. Too much Vampy-ness...' Heath says rubbing his arm.

Jackson laughs. 'Don't mess with her next time.' Heath nods.

_I actually just broke a mans arm..._

'I'm going to go back to my room. I don't feel so good.' she says, standing and walking to the door. Jackson follows.

'You okay?'

'Well, i just drank some disgusting blood and broke a guys arm. i feel pretty shit.' she frowns

'Ill come with you'

'No. I don't want you to see me if and when I puke my guts up shortly.' she laughs a little. he smiles

'Okay. ill come see you shortly.' He kisses her forehead.

Aria walks straight back to her room. She was right, she only just makes it back. She walks into her bathroom and locks the door.


	3. The Bond

Aria wakes up from her nap. She feels worse than she did before after having it. She doesnt understand why she can't drink blood. Its supposed to be natural. She walks over to her wardrobe and admires herself again. She feels older now, and she looks it too.  
_But I'm actually dead. I have no heartbeat._  
As cool as it is she realises its going to take longer to adjust than she thought.  
'Aria?' Someone says from the other side of her bedroom door.  
'Yeah, come in' she calls out. Jackson walks in and smiles at her.  
'How are you feeling?' He asks. She closes her cupboard and looks at him  
'I'm okay.' She lies. He shakes his head.  
'You are a terrible liar.' He laughs.  
'Yeah. I'm starving.' She quickly ducks into the bathroom and brushes her teeth. When's shes finished she walks back out and hugs him.  
'Well, I went back and spoke to the headmistress about that...' he says. She looks up at him  
'You went back and saw her? Are you serious?' Aria is frowning.  
'Just to ask her about this...' he opens his jacket and reaches into an inside pocket. He pulls out a blood bag with a large white label on it.  
'She said that because of your gene youre gonna have to drink this.' He hands it to her.  
Its human blood.  
'Where did you get this?' She asks.  
'Victoria got hold of it. I know youre against this...'  
'Youre right. I'm not drinking this.' She steps away.  
'Aria you dont have a choice anymore.'  
She looks at the bag in her hand. _This is bad..._  
'If you dont drink this, you will die.' He says softly.  
She imagines her fangs sliding out, and they do. Her eyes well up as she sinks them into the bag. Blood flows into her mouth, sweet and thick. She polishes off the bag in no time. Jackson smiles at her apologetically.  
'It'll get better.' He walks over and brushes his thumb under her eyes. She nods before hugging him again.  
'Your eyes have changed a little.' He says into her hair.  
'What?'  
'They're slightly purple now.'  
_That makes sense, red and blue..._ she nods  
'I want to go to the fountain.' She says. She wants to experience outside as a vampire.  
They walk hand in hand to the courtyard.

As they walk through the gate, they both at the same time. Harley stands by the fountain fiddling with her hair. Jackson steps back to walk away but aria tugs him back. She turns to face her  
'Hey Harley' she calls out. Harley looks at her and walks over.  
'Wow, aria you really _are _different.' She smiles  
'Yeah. I suppose so' aria smiles back.  
Jackson stays silent and frowns  
'Sweet contacts. Same brand as mine' she points to arias eyes.  
'They're real.' Jackson snaps at her. Aria squeezes his hand.  
Harley is shocked. 'Wow! Thats mad!' She yells.  
Aria laughs and looks at jackson.  
Harleys smile vanishes. 'Jack, I want to...'  
'Don't call me that.' He snaps at her. Aria squeezes again. She wants them to to be friends again. Jackson flinches. 'Stop it aria it actually hurts' he yanks his hand out of her grip. She rolls her eyes.  
Harley speaks up again. 'Can we talk things through? please.' Aria glares at him.  
He sighs. 'Fine.' He walks past her quickly and Harley follows.  
Aria sits on the fountain by herself. She doesnt believe Harley is as bad as jackson thinks. She looks around. She can smell the flowers from across the courtyard. She can hear birds from the pine trees outside of the fence. Everything is clearer now. She relaxes.  
Suddenly jackson return, his frown is gone. Aria stands up.  
'I suppose we're okay now. There's no threat of her hurting you now so...' he flashes her a half smile and she returns it.  
'Does that mean I can be friends with her now?' She asks playfully.  
'You can be friends with whoever you want now because they won't want to eat you.' He jokes with her. As they laugh, Harley appears again.  
'So, now we're cool, can I hang out with your girlfriend now?' She asks jackson. Jackson looks at aria and back at Harley.  
'Shes all yours' he smiles. He pecks her on the cheek and he leaves the girls alone to their giggily girl stuff.

A few hours later, Aria walks with Harley back to her dorm. Its in the red brick building next to the courtyard. They walk up the stairs and into her room.  
Her room is small compared to arias. The walls are pure white and the entire room is tiled. A large rug sits under her double bed, and two arm chairs are placed in front of a small TV. She has a small kitchen like arias but its not the same quality. Aria looks around.  
'This is sweet' she says looking around.  
'Its not bad. Its just a safe place to sleep mostly.' Harley replies, walking into the kitchen. Aria sits on a armchair feeling a little awkward.  
'Would you like anything to drink?' She calls out from the kitchen.  
Aria remembers her morning. All the blood she couldn't tolerate...  
'No thanks.' Aria says back to her.  
Harley returns with a bottle in her hand and sits beside aria. She sips it a few times before she speaks.  
'So... what do you think about being a vampire?' She asks.  
'So far so good. Its different, but I think its great.' Aria smiles  
'Thats good. I remember when I was young, I hated it. But as I got older I learned to love it. I'm glad you like it already' Harley smiles. It goes quiet again.  
Harley coughs a little 'so, have you and jackson...' she winks at aria. She shakes her head furiously.  
'God no! No, we're not at that point yet.'  
'But youre a vampire now. How can you even stop yourself?' Harley asks, genuinely curious. she looks shocked.

'What do you mean? I'm not like that...' aria replies.

Harley shakes her head. 'I admire you. i was so different as a newbie in that department...'

'Gross.' Aria laughs at her.

'Wait, so you've never done it?'

Aria shakes her head slowly 'Nope.'

'Not even as a human?'

'No! i just said...'

Harley holds up a hand and interrupts. 'Alright alright.'

Aria feels a little weird, shes not that close with Harley yet but they're already discussing guys. She decides to not continue on this topic with Jacksons ex. _Maybe she knows something i dont..._

Aria rubs her knees 'so, how old are you?' she asks

'You stop counting birthdays after about one hundred. I think I'm about four-hundred and fifty.' She replies smoothly. She seems proud of it. Aria can only dream of living that long.

'Why are your eyes like that?' Harley asks. Aria inhales sharply

'I dont know. Honestly, I'm just weird.' She says, laughing. Shes already started lying to her friend.

'You're lucky! you dont have to wear contacts like me.' she points at her eyes.

The two laugh and talk until it gets dark outside. Aria says her goodbye and leaves Harleys' dorm. she feels relieved that Jackson doesn't hate her anymore; and that she has a proper permanent female friend. Aria reaches the bottom of the stairs. In and instant, she decides to test her new skills again. She bends her knees, and runs as fast as she can out of the building. Suddenly she appears at her bedroom door.

'Shit!' she yells as she slams into the door, causing the bottom to splinter.

She laughs a little and heads inside. Jackson is in front of the fire place with his back towards it. He looks up at her.

'I heard that.' he winks at her.

'So were at this point in our relationship where we enter each others rooms whenever we want? great!' she winks back at him.

'You really are faster than a normal vampire. We can see where were going, its not that blurry. But you...' he gestures at her. 'You just have to wing it.'

She laughs 'Its cool, I'm used to that sort of thing.' She walks over and stands next to him. The fire is warm, but she doesn't feel cold.

'So, i was talking to Harley...' She begins. Jackson looks at her

'What did she say?' He looks worried

'Just a few normal things, she commented on my eyes, offered me some awful blood, asked me if we'd had sex...'

Jackson instantly stiffens 'She what!' he raises his voice.

'Hey, dont stress. She only asked...'

'You've been friends for what, 3 hours, and shes already asking you personal questions like that? Thats not okay...' He steps towards the door but Aria grabs his arm.

'Don't.

He looks back at her, her grip on his arm must be hurting and she lets go.

'Its none of her business.' he finally says

'I know that. But thats the kind of thing girls talk about. She was trying...'

The room goes silent. Aria rocks on her heels in front of the fire. The elephant in the room wont leave unless she does something. She makes a split second decision, and she speed-runs over to him and kisses him. He stumbles back a little, out of shock before he quickly kisses her back. Her lips are on fire, and the heat seems to travel through every part of her body. She wraps her arms around his neck and he pulls her closer. His tongue brushes against hers, and she feels rather than hears a low growl in his throat.

Her fangs slide out of her gums and she quickly steps back, covering them with her hand. Her eyes are wide.

'Hey, dont...' Jackson steps towards her but he turns her back to him. _Fuck!_ He wraps his arms around her from behind and rests his chin on her head. Shes even more embarrassed than before.

'You're not fully in control yet. It takes practice...' without looking he tugs her hand away from her mouth and her spins her around.

'You know how you assumed the first human i drank from was a girl, because you thought it was sexual?' he asks. She nods

'You're right. Its not just an effect of wanting or smelling blood.' He puts his hands on her waist.

_Hell no..._

She looks up at him, her lips stretched over her fangs. She knows if she could turn red, she'd be scarlet by now. Jackson extends his fangs in front of her. he pull aria towards himself and kisses her again. Its different with fangs out, but Aria doesn't mind.

He kisses her neck and she turns her head. Her imaginary pulse quickens as she feels his teeth scrape over her skin. She closes her eyes and holds his upper arms to steady herself. His hands tighten on her hips.

_where is this going?_

'Aria...' he mumbles against her neck.

'Yeah?' she asks nervously

'Can i?' he scrapes her neck again, causing her to shiver. She remembers how much it hurt when Kai bit her. She inhales deeply.

'Yes.' she replies quietly.

His fangs pierce her skin, and she gasps. It hurts just as much as it did before, but its a different kind of hurt; its a good pain. She scrunches her eyes shut while she adjusts it. She can feel her blood being drawn from her and it feels unusual. His tongue flicks over the puncture wounds. Shes never been this close to anyone before, especially not sexually like this.

Jackson pauses as he runs his hands over her backside and suddenly picks her up. She looks down at him.

'Do i get to try as well?' she asks him, pointing to the blood on his mouth. He smiles and walks over to the bed, sitting down with her on his lap.

She lowers her head to his neck. His hand appears in front of her eyes

'Not this one...' He points to a large vein. 'If i was human and you bit that, you would kill me.' His hand goes back to its spot on her hip.

She nods, and quickly sinks her fangs into his skin.

It mustve hurt him more than it hurt her, because he swears under his breath. She takes all she can get until her mind goes blank.


	4. The Reappearance

Aria wakes snuggled into Jacksons arm. She's not cold like she was in the hotel. Its normal. They're both wearing the same clothes as last night. She touches her neck, and two small soft dots are there. She didn't know vampires would scar too, considering her last scar healed. She makes a mental note to ask Jackson about it later. Jackson moans as he looks down at her, the rising sun blinding him.  
'Hey there' he smiles at her. She returns it.  
'Hi.' She mumbles. _Wow_ _he's_ _tasty..._  
'Why thankyou' he says. Her eyes widen  
'I didn't say that out loud...' she frowns  
'I know, but I heard it.' He smiles  
'You can hear my thoughts?'  
_'_I can, only because I've had your blood. Its powerful stuff...'he winks  
'This is way too weird, Victoria didn't say anything about mind reading...'  
Jackson leans down and kisses her forehead. Aria grins from ear to ear as she moves her head onto his chest.  
'So, vampire blood is the tastiest...' aria talks to herself. He laughs as he strokes her hair.  
_This_ _is_ _so_ _nice,_ _just_ _lying_ _here._ _Last_ _night_ _could've_ _gone_ _further..._  
'Hey, we don't need to...'  
'Stay out of my head!' She says playfully, slapping her hand against his stomach. He winces and coughs.  
'I don't like it when you're stronger than me. I feel vulnerable.' He says, rubbing her arm that lays across his stomach.  
She chuckles 'oh really?' She suddenly sits up and throws her leg over his waist. She sits straight on him. Hes laughing.  
'Get off, don't make me make you...' he reaches up and grabs her wrists but she forces back. She uses all her strength to pin his hands next to his face. His demeanour goes serious.  
'You're actually crazy strong...' he says, trying to free his hands. She laughs, her inner goddess is proud. She leans down and kisses him, her fangs slide out but she doesn't care.  
He groans as he tries to move his arms, but he gives up. He kisses her back, and his fangs extend too.  
'You will be the death of me...' he murmurs against her mouth as she let's goes of his arms.

A few hours later, Aria and Jackson walk in to the common room. Lucas is there along with the other warriors, and Jackson is shocked.  
'Holy shit, Lucas!' Jackson yells as he walks over and hugs him. Aria laughs, its pretty manly.  
'I'm back to harass you permanently.' Lucas laughs. He glances up at Aria.  
'Wow! Oh my god, you're...'  
'A vampire. Yeah.' Aria interrupts him. He walks over and hugs her.  
'You died?' He asks  
'I did. So much has happened since you _disappeared_...' she says sharply.  
'Things happened and yeah, I'm back!' He shrugs. 'Your eyes are mad! Lucky!'  
Aria smiles her thanks at him.  
_They_ _know_ _something_ _I_ _don't_.  
As Lucas walks off, she looks at Jackson, and sure enough he heard her. He shakes his head. Aria doesn't know how to listen into his mind, but she focuses on him in her mind. She finally hears him.  
_'__**Its**_ _**hard**_ _**to**_ _**explain,**_ _**but**_ _**he**_ _**was**_ _**in**_ _**our**_ _**underground**_ _**cells.**_ _**He**_ _**broke**_ _**a**_ _**law**_ _**and**_ _**was**_ _**punished**_ _**for**_ _**it'**_  
She nods. _Tell_ _me_ _later..._ she thinks, and he nods as well. She loves this communication thing.  
'So what do you think?' Lucas calls out to her from the pool table.  
'I love it. Its much better than being human.' She smiles as she sits on the couch next to Jackson  
'I know! I loved it so much, it got me down a bit when I found out we couldn't have kids. But I've experienced so much being able to live longer.'  
Aria freezes. 'What?'  
Lucas looks at her. The room goes silent. She looks at Jackson.  
'Vampires can't have children?' She whispers. Jackson doesn't say anything.  
_I_ _want_ _kids_ _more_ _than_ _anything..._  
Jackson places his hand on her thigh. Her entire view on being a vampire changes. She feels like she's been robbed of everything.  
'And you didn't tell me?' She says at a normal volume.  
'I knew you'd get upset...' He replies softly, trying not to upset her more. Lucas shifts awkwardly.  
'Oh my god...' she says, standing and walking to the door.  
'Aria don't leave. Its something we have to accept as vampires...'  
'How can you say that? Its like a girls dream! If I had known...' she's had enough. She slams the door behind her, and she hears the handle fall off and the door frame crack under the force.  
On the other side of the door, Jackson glares at Lucas.  
'Honestly, you've been free for a few hours and you're already starting to mess things up'

Aria sits on her bed, her legs folded. She wants to take it all back. Everything she's said and done regarding vampires. She wants it gone. Blood streaks stain her face, she's been here for hours. Jackson opens her door and walks over to her. He sits next to her, she doesn't object to it  
She sniffs. 'If I had known...'  
'I know. It made me upset too when I found out.'  
She looks at him, and he wipes her cheeks with his hand.  
'Its a girls dream. You know, meet a nice guy and get married and have family.'  
He rubs her back. 'Eventually you'll accept it. It'll be hard, but you can do it.' He kisses her forehead.  
She takes a deep unnecessary breath 'tell me about Lucas.'  
He sighs. 'Like I said, he broke a law, and was punished.'  
She raises an eyebrow 'tell me properly.'  
He laughs 'well, he went outside the grounds and even off our territory. He had dealings with a human.'  
'Dealings?' She frowns  
'Okay okay, to put it bluntly, he had sex with a human and he told her what he was.' He shrugs as aria pulls a face.  
'I know, I don't understand it really. Anyway, he drank from her and etcetera etcetera, he was charged with leaving the grounds, intercourse with a human, drinking from a human and exposing himself.'  
Aria shakes her head. 'I thought you said it wasn't possible with a human?'  
'Well, its not impossible, but from what I've heard its hard. I mean, they're fragile and it'd be hard not to drain them in the heat of the moment...' he rubs his neck. Aria understands now, just by thinking about her strength in comparison to his. She nods.  
'The girl?' She asks  
'Humans can't know about us. You were the only exception. Finn told me she was in a bad way. I assume she was killed.'  
'That's awful!'  
'That's life for vampires.'  
'How was he punished?'  
He sighs again. 'He was starved and beaten. From the way he talks, I assume he had his fangs pulled out too.'  
Aria can't understand this. Her fangs are in her jaw, she can't imagine how painful it would be to have a tooth pulled without anaesthetic.  
'Onto a different topic; you can probably attend classes now.' He smiles at her.  
_Classes_ _with_ _other_ _vampires?_ _Learning_ _stuff?_ _School?_  
'Yes...' he says '...you need to learn the basics.?  
'Can't you teach me?' She pulls a sad face at him.  
'No, I can't teach you like the Professors can. Besides, you'll make more friends and its rather enjoyable.'

'School is not enjoyable!' she laughs at him.

'You'll probably be best at Phys Ed class with your speed and strength.' he winks at her. she smiles

'You learn how to fight and hunt and stuff. Its cool.' he continues

'okay, ill trust you.'

He leans over and gives her a kisses her.

_Stop that, look what happened last time you left me with a scar..._

He laughs 'It'll disappear. Its only because the wounds were held open for a long time.' he kisses her again, and she giggles.

_**'Loosen up babe' **_She hears in his mind.

_Says you... _But Jackson doesn't hear her thought, he's too busy.


	5. The Exposure

The following day, Jackson walks with Aria to her first class. They walk hand in hand across the courts under her balcony, and the other students give her weird looks. She hardly notices, she's to happy that Jackson is showing her off like he is. They get to a small stepping-stone path on the far side of the courts, and they walk down it carefully. They eventually come to a gate.

'This is where they teach Phys Ed. its a smaller fenced off area so students can practice their running and hunting.' he says and he swings the gate open. she nods excitedly.

At the end of the sloping path is a small amphitheatre style area. Isles of grassy terraces are elevated above a flat, bricked area. Trees surround the edges. Students mingle in small groups as an older man stumbles around the front. Jackson walks over to him while Aria stays standing on the path. A few girls glare at her but she says nothing. Jackson returns with the man, who looks about 70.

'Aria, this is Professor Thatcher.' he gestures to him.

she smiles 'Nice to meet you' she says. Professor Thatcher returns the smile.

'Pleasure to finally meet you. I never thought I would, because i never thought you'd be a vampire.' he laughs awkwardly.

Jackson laughs, trying not to make him feel anymore awkward. 'Anyway, this is Arias first class and i think she will really blitz it' he smiles at her.

'Great!' Professor Thatcher replies. 'You two can help me demonstrate to these third years...' he says, turning his back on them and walking back to the bricked teaching area. _Third year?_

_'_**_Victoria thinks its better you start up a few years, otherwise the lower students might get mad because youre too good.'_** She hears in his head.

'Alright, shut up!' The professor yells and the students go silent.

'Right, so we have a new student. This is Aria, she will be attending from now on. And Warrior Miller will be helping in the demonstration...'

Jackson looks at Aria.

'They call you Warrior Miller?' she looks at him, about to laugh.

'Shut up. Its an honorary title...' he says as he walks down the path to the professor. Aria follows, she hears a few girls mutter something behind her and she smiles. She feels triumphant because Jackson is hers.

On the bricked area, the professor and Jackson stand opposite each other, crouching slightly in a defensive position. Aria sits on the front ledge and watches intently.

'So, like i said last lesson, we're doing high speed hand-to-hand combat. Were not aiming to hurt each other, were only trying to get the opponent a position where they'd have to surrender. We don't support physical violence in our school, remember? This is a safe demonstration...' The professor says, nodding slightly at Jackson. Aria starts to get anxious, remembering the fight she watched a few weeks ago. That resulted in death. She folds her hands in her lap and waits for it to begin.

Then it happens, the two men launch themselves at each other. A fight like this was nothing but a blur when Aria was human, but her keen eyesight picks up everything as a vampire. She is surprised at the old mans speed and agility, considering his age. He swipes his arm right but Jackson dodges, kicking a leg out from underneath him as he does. The professor only falters for a second, before he's ready to go again. Hands and legs fly everywhere as they swerve and twist around each other at an incredible speed. Its only been minute they've been fighting, but to aria it feels longer. She hopes Jacksons okay.

A loud crack echoes in the amphitheatre and the men stop moving. The professor has his back against a tree and Jackson has him pinned, a small branch of a tree aimed at his chest. His fangs are bared as he snarls at him. Aria finally relaxes.

They suddenly pull away and laugh, Jackson drops the makeshift stake.

'Excellent work. Considering you haven't been in classes for almost 5 years, i assumed you would've forgotten this.' The professor says, as he holds out his hand. Jackson shakes it.

'You underestimate me, Professor Thatcher.' Jackson says and he laughs. The students start talking again, whispering things about the fight. Aria smiles at Jackson as he walks over to her.

'I got a little nervous. I'm impressed...' She says, standing and giving him a brief hug.

'Aria, I aced this class. That's not the first time I've beaten him.' he winks at her.

'Are you trying to impress me more? Because its working...' She laughs.

She looks around and sees almost every girl in the class is staring at him. She is about to say something to him, when the professor talks again.

'Partner up and try and repeat what we just did.' He shouts loudly.

Jackson takes her hand 'You can start this class by yourself tomorrow.' he says as they walk back up the path.

As they walk back across the courts, aria looks at him.

'Do the other students know about me?' she asks.

He frowns 'I actually don't know. They probably wonder why your eyes are blue, but I don't think they know. I'll ask Victoria another time' She nods. They walk under the brick arch Aria knows so well and into Isabellas' Courtyard. They sit on the fountain edge, and Jackson wraps his arm around her shoulder. she looks at him.

'I don't know how well I'm going to go in that class...' she says, shaking her head.

'You'll be great, you'll get to test your speed and strength more.' he smiles.

'I need to make more friends. Friends that i actually go to class with' she laughs a little

'You will. People will see how amazing you are and want to get to know you straight away. even the boys, but that wont matter because you're mine...' he says cheekily before pulling her closer for a kiss. she giggles.

'Get a room!' Someone shouts from across the yard. They look up to see Harley waving at them.

'Sorry.' Aria says, but she's not sorry at all.

'I heard rumours going around about a "new girl" in class, i assumed that was you and id like to take you to my History class!' she smiles as she sits next to them on the fountain. Aria shakes her head.

'I don't know about that. One class was enough for me today...' she says, brushing her hair from her eyes.

'I think you should go...' Jackson says looking at Aria. '...It'll get you used to going places without me.' He winks at her. Harley claps excitedly

'Great! Lets go!' She says, linking her arm through Arias and dragging her to her feet. As she follows along behind Harley, she looks back at Jackson.

_I hate you for this..._ she says in her mind

'_**No you don't. I'll come get you in an hour...'**_ he replies, and the last thing Aria sees is Jackson laughing at her.

Aria and Harley walk into a classroom not far away from the Girls Dorms. Its quite old, the inside walls are brick but the floor is marble. It looks weird, but its a classroom. Aria knows they're not meant to look pretty. Harley drags her to two single desks in the middle, and they sit side by side. Harley looks at her.

'Our teacher is really nice, her name is Professor Prescote. Its hard to say and she hates it when you pronounce it wrong, so just call her miss.' she says. Aria nods. If she had a heartbeat it would be going crazy; she's very nervous. Students start to fill the empty desks, and the room gets louder and louder. Aria looks at everyone that enters. Suddenly a very short woman with bright red hair walks into the room and places a pile of books on the front desk. Its not ginger hair, its literally scarlet. She pays no attention to the students. Aria assumes that's the teacher, and she looks back at Harley. She's turned to a desk behind her, talking to a boy behind her. He has a sleeve tattoo and an earring in one ear, he's intimidating. Aria taps her on the shoulder.

'Sorry! Aria this is Chase.' she gestures to him. He nods at her, and she smiles back.

'He used to be the youngest in the class...' she continues, laughing a little.

Aria faces the teacher again, trying to escape the awkwardness. Just as she does, she catches the teachers eye.

'Alright, everyone be quiet!' she says loudly. she slowly walks over to aria. 'I see you've joined us.' she says, a slight smile tugs at her lips. Aria nods. _she doesn't mean the class, I just know it..._

'Great. I've heard a lot about you. Its lovely to have you here...' she says, turning and walking back to the front of the room. Aria relaxes a little. The professor begins to write notes on the board, and the students begin to talk again. it reminds Aria of her high school; she never liked it there.

'Hey Harley!' a male calls out from behind her. Aria turns, even though he wasn't wanting her attention. A man with some serious stubble sits at the very back of the room, his feet on the desk. 'Who's your friend?' he laughs, the guys around him laugh along with him. Harley looks at Aria.

'Don't even pay attention to Harry. He's just upset because his butt hole hurts from his boyfriend last night...' She raises her voice loud enough for him to hear. The class "Oh's", and Aria can see him getting angry.

'I'm not gay!' he shouts, his feet slipping from the desk and hitting the ground hard. Aria and Harley laugh a little. She made a good call.

'Enough! Can you read this stuff please, its important...' she says sternly. The class goes quiet for a few minutes as they read what's on the board. Aria reads it too, but its stuff Jacksons already told her before. She hears some guys behind her whispering things about her but she ignores them. She really wants to go back to her dorm.

'So, i decided to change this lessons topic when I found at Aria was here.' Professor Prescote says. 'I think this will be more fitting.'

Aria looks down. _She's going to tell the whole class I'm related to Isabella..._

'We all know Isabella was the Original vampire, and that every vampire stems from her in some way...' The teacher begins, drawing what looks like a family tree on the blackboard. Harley looks at Aria, thinking the same thing she is.

'...And we all know the theories about her child and her powers...' Professor Prescote continues, adding more and more branches to her diagram. Aria is beyond nervous, she wants to make friends not loose them.

A guy sitting at the desk in front her turns around and smiles at her. He places a piece of paper on her desk and winks at her. she cringes. when he's not looking she brushes the paper onto the floor.

_This is not good..._

Suddenly, something catches her eye from outside the classroom window. Its fast, and she knows its a person. The class stops talking and looks out the window too. Everyone can see it. Two men are fighting. _Not again! _Aria refuses to watch another student be killed. Her subconsciousness takes over and she stands. That's when she sees who it is.

_Heath_

He's tired, his head and shirt covered in blood. The other man punches him, again and again. Arias adrenaline sky-rockets, and in an instant she's at the door. Harley jumps

'Aria!' she runs after her at human speed. Aria is out the door, running towards them at human speed now.

Aria cant feel anything. One of her best friends it getting hurt right in front of her.

'Stop it!' she screams, still running. Neither of them stop, but Heath takes another blow to the face. Arias fangs slide out, her lips pulled back from them. She snarls 'Enough!'

It echoes off the surrounding buildings. She throws her hands out in front of her, and before she knows what shes doing, the other man flies backward into the brick wall of the girls dorm. She hears something crunch, and he falls limp to the ground. Aria drops her arms.

'Oh my god...' she says, looking at her hands. _I just did that..._

She forgets everything and runs towards Heath, who is lying on the ground. She kneels next to him. Blood flows steadily from a large gash in his cheek. He has round puncture wounds in his neck and his shoulders. Almost every part of skin is covered with blood. She shakes him.

'Heath!' she screams. His eyes open, both swollen and beginning to bruise.

'You actually did the hand thing...' he says. She laughs, relieved.

'Yeah... i did the hand thing...' She wipes blood off his face with her sleeve. Harley is beside her.

'What the hell? How did you...' Harley begins, but aria glares at her. She looks back at Heath, pulling him up so hes sitting.

'What happened?' She asks.

'He said some putrid things about me. I returned them and he hit me.' he says, rubbing his neck. A couple of the holes have healed already, but he still looks sore. She hugs him as lightly as she can.

'Thanks' He whispers in her ear. She lifts him to his feet, leaving splatters of blood on the pavement. Professor Prescote runs over to them, her slip on shoes scuffing along the ground.

'Those wounds need to be cleaned...' she says, puffed.

Jackson appears in front of them, and they turn to look at him.

'Fuck, i knew i heard something...' he says, walking toward heath and he slips an arm around him for support. He looks at the man on the ground, then at aria. His eyes are wide.

'Did you...' he begins to ask, aria just nods. Jackson walks away with Heath, and she turns back to the classroom. Every single student is pressed against the window, some of their mouths hang open. It all hits her in the face like a ton of bricks.

Everyone just saw what she did. They'll want to know how she did it. Everyone will know about it within hours.


	6. The Task

Aria sits in Victorias' office by herself. She rubs her thumbs over her palms, out of habit. She has no idea how she threw that guy. She knows shes about to get told off for what she did. She doesn't know if the other man is alright, and she doesn't care either. Her best friend is safe.

_I dont want to go to the cells... _

Victoria walks into the room, she says nothing as she sits in her chair. Aria waits for her to say something, but she continues on as if shes not even there. Eventually she speaks.

'Professor Prescote explained to me exactly what happened this afternoon.' She says calmly. Aria nods, crossing her fingers in her mind.

'I told you that you could do the same things Isabella could.' She says, her eyes flicking up to aria for only a few moments. She begins to write in her hard covered book, the same she was writing in the first time Aria entered her office. She cant make out what it says, the font is too swirly and old. Her quill bobs, as aria waits again.

'You injured a student. A mean, yet high achieving student...' Victoria says, putting her quill down. Aria gets nervous.

'Headmistress, i honestly have no idea...' she begins, but Victoria holds up a hand to silence her. Arias never been told off before, not even in high school.

'But seeing as this is your first offense here. I will not be punishing you for this event.' Victoria continues. Aria relaxes in her chair.

_Thank God..._

'However...' Victoria fold her hands on the desk. '...I am extremely interested to find out to what extent your genes are like hers, and if you can do everything Isabella could; maybe even do more.'

Aria frowns. 'What do you mean?'

Victoria sighs. 'See if you can close the door.' she says, gesturing to it. Aria didn't realise it was still open.

'I dont think...'

'Just try.'

Aria turns in her seat and faces the door. _I'm gonna look like an idiot._ She holds up her right hand towards the door and closes her eyes. She has no idea what to do. She tries the same technique Jackson taught her about her fangs; she visualizes the door clicking shut firmly. Her hand begins to tingle, like pins-and-needles all over her palm. She opens her eyes, just as the door makes a satisfying thud.

She cant believe it; and neither can Victoria. She claps excitedly, like a little child.

'Amazing! This is just incredible!' she says, as Aria turns back to her. The Headmistress leans across her desk and takes Arias hands in hers. Aria is shocked.

'You have a gift from the Goddess.' she says softly, rubbing her thumbs over arias palms. Aria frowns slightly. 'I need your assistance with a life long task of mine.' she continues.

Aria withdraws her hands. 'What?'

Victoria is startled, but she continues. 'I was given this task by Isabella, before she disappeared. I have been unable to complete it. But you...' she waves her hands at aria. '...You have the powers needed to finish it. You will join my task given by the Goddess and you shall complete it in the name of Isabella.' She smiles at her.

Arias head spins. 'What if i dont want to help?' she says.

'Well that would be unfortunate. I would have to remove you from the school.' Victoria says, her eyes harsh and her smile gone.

'Are you threatening me, Headmistress?' aria stands from her chair, glaring at her.

'You would be disobeying orders given by the Goddess, and under law i can execute you.' She replies, standing as Aria did.

'You're insane!' Aria shouts.

'You haven't heard the task yet' The Headmistress says. Aria calms herself.

'Spit it out. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt on this...' Aria says, folding her arms.

'I am not the only one Isabella turned. I was not the first, i was the last. One other human was turned before me; and she said turning her was the biggest mistake she ever made. She wished i was the only one...' Victoria looks down, and aria thinks this is just for effect. 'She said if i was to ever find her; the other woman she turned, i was to stake her and burn her.'

Arias mouth drops. 'Hell no!' She shouts 'I am not taking part in this task! I would rather die than kill another! Isabella wouldn't want that!' she storms towards the door.

'Aria, you will not expect your death...' Victoria says, just as aria makes it to the door. She turns to her.

'Do it. Try and murder a Vampire Prodigy, related by blood to _your_ goddess. You can murder your own vampire, and so help me Victoria, if you _ever_ come near me or anyone i care about, i will stake you myself.' she snarls at her. Victorias' mouth falls open, as Aria takes off.

Aria went straight to her room yesterday evening and slept through until 10 the next morning. She needed the rest. When she wakes, she changes out of yesterdays clothes she slept in and opens the fridge in her kitchen. The maids had begun stocking it with human blood. Aria cringes, knowing she's the only one in the school who drinks from a human. She ignores her morals and polishes off a blood bag in a few minutes, before tossing it into the bin. She thinks about everything Victoria had said. What if Isabella really did want that? What if Victoria did try to kill her?

She pushes the thoughts aside. She knows she's stronger than her._ I did threaten her... _

She decides to check on Heath, and she walks to her door. She opens it, and Jackson is standing there.

'What happened?' he asks, looking concerned.

'Nothing. She said it was my first offense and she's not punishing me.'

'Thank the goddess! I got worried when I didn't see you again yesterday.' he says, leaning against the door frame.

'Sorry, I just came back here and slept.' she says. She doesn't want to remember the events of yesterday.

He looks in her eyes. 'I cant hear you anymore.' he says. Aria pauses.

'I didn't realise that. I cant hear you either.'

'Your blood has worn off. it was nice while it lasted though...' he says, flashing her a cheeky smile. she laughs.

'Is that why you're here? To take more of my blood?' she winks at him.

'No! of course not!' he says through his laughter.

'I was about to see Heath, but you can come in if you want.' she says, stepping out of the door way.

'Actually, i wouldn't go and see him right now...' he says, raising his eyebrows. she frowns. '... Another student heard about him getting beat up and he's in there visiting him.' he continues. Aria tilts her head at him.

'Aria, its a male student, who is also gay.' he looks at her.

'Oh!' she gasps.

'I think they might be getting into a relationship.' he smiles. Aria smiles too. Heath is so nice and shes happy for him.

'Ill definitely leave them be.' she laughs, and Jackson walks into her room. He sits down on the couch while aria walks towards her bathroom. she brushes her teeth, just in case. Her mouth is full of toothpaste when she calls out to him.

'Jackson, what's the date? i haven't picked up my phone in ages...' she says, her words garbled. He laughs.

'Its the 11th of February. why?' he calls back.

_I've been here for more than six months?_

She empties her mouth. 'Just seeing how long I've been here for that's all.' she says. She walks over to a towel and wipes her mouth, when she pauses.

_11th of February?_

'Wait...' she says, walking to the door in her bathroom. Jackson looks over the back of the couch at her. '...11th of February?'

Jackson nods. 'Yeah. That's today. Why?' he looks confused. Aria laughs a little and looks down at her shoes.

'What?' Jackson asks.

'I had no idea. Its my birthday today.' she says, looking up at him. Her smile reaches every part of her face. Jackson stands up quickly.

'Seriously? Oh my goddess!' he says, running at super speed over to her. He wraps his arms around her waist, and she giggles.

'Its no big deal, I don't age anymore so its really...'

Jackson kisses her cheeks, and she cant talk because she's giggling too much.

'Happy birthday!' he says. She smiles at him.

'Thanks. But its nothing, Ill always be seventeen...'

'Humans celebrate their 18th. its like a huge milestone. You've only been a vampire for like, a week. You were a human for 17 years. We're celebrating!' He says, taking her hand and dragging her out of her room.

'No really, vampires don't do birthdays...' she says, hoping her assumptions were correct. He stops pulling her for a moment.

'That's beside the point. I want to celebrate your birthday with you. And if Heath knew...'

Aria interrupts him 'Don't tell Heath! I know he'd go nuts!' They both laugh.

'Please Aria. Its your 18th, its your last birthday, and i want to celebrate it with you. please?' Jackson is serious now. Aria caves in.

'Alright! fine, but this is it!' He pulls her close and kisses her, placing his hands on her face. She shivers.

'It'll be great! We can have a party and...'

'Last time we had a party, you killed a man.' she says playfully.

'That wont happen this time.' He glares at her, before laughing.

They make it to Heaths bedroom door. Jackson knocks once, before barging in. Aria tries to protest, remembering what he told her this morning, but he does it anyway.

Heath sits on his couch. His room is similar to Arias but more manly. Sitting next to him is a man, and Aria remembers him from her class with Harley. He has the same sleeve tattoo and ear piercing.

'Guys! Hey!' Heath says, standing up as they walk in. The man looks at Aria and nods his greeting.

'Hi Chase' She says. Jackson looks at her.

'What? I met him in class today. He's Harleys' friend.' she says to Jackson.

'Sorry, i was just going now anyway...' Chase says, walking towards them.

'Thanks for visiting!' Heath yells out to him as Chase waves goodbye and leaves. Aria closes the door behind him.

'So? what happened?' She asks him, as she walks over and sits next to him. Jackson follows and sits opposite them.

'That is my new boyfriend...' he says proudly. Aria hugs him.

'I'm really happy for you!' she says.

'Heath...' Jackson interrupts them. '...Its Arias birthday today.' he continues

'O.M.G!' Heath says the letters instead of what they stand for. She smiles at him.

'We're having a party!' He shouts excitedly. They both more excited than her about it. Heath stands and speed runs out the door.

Aria looks at Jackson.

'That's what Heath does.' He says. '...He organizes parties in his head, then goes and tells everyone. He'll be back soon.'


	7. The Betrayal

Later that evening in the common room, all the warriors and Arias friends, including Harley, have a glass in their hand. Heath is talking to Chase by the pool table and Harley is sitting on the couch next to Julian. There is music playing from Arias phone in a dock, but its not loud enough to drown out the conversations. Aria is leaning against a bench in the kitchen when Jackson hands her a glass.

'Its your kind of blood, mixed with vodka.' He whispers. He pecks her on the cheek. She winks at him.

'Are you trying to get me drunk?' she giggles.

'Of course... not' he quickly adds, winking at her.

'Don't get her drunk, I need a sober friend to stop me from doing crazy shit.' Harley enters their conversation as she opens the fridge. They laugh at her, they both know nothing will stop her. Aria turns to the pool table, where Chase and Heath are versing each other. She smiles, pleased to see he's gotten over yesterdays events. Lucas waves at her to get her attention, and she walks over to him.

'So what, last time there was a party like this you got attacked?' he asks bluntly. Aria sighs

'Yeah. It was scary. But Jackson fixed him right up...' she says softly.

Lucas laughs. 'Did he ever! I never liked Kai, he was messed up from the start!' He hasn't stopped laughing. Aria snatches his glass from his hand.

'You are messed up now. You dont need anymore of this...' She says, turning back to the kitchen. Lucas doesn't protest.

She pours the contents down the sink and Jackson laughs.

'Look at you, Miss Birthday-Girl being all sensible...' he chuckles as he puts his hands on her waist.

She looks at them. 'I'm trying to be responsible and you're not helping.' She replies, wriggling out of his grip. 'Don't make me make you stop drinking too.' She says, pointing a finger at him. He just winks.

Shes really enjoying herself. She has nothing to worry about anymore, because shes stronger than all of the vampires here. She walks over to Harley and sits next to her.

'Hey!' Harley says a little too loudly. 'Keeping an eye out for your best friend?'

Aria laughs 'Something like that.' She looks over at Julian who is sprawled out on the couch. She thinks Harley is sitting a bit too close to him, but she says nothing. Suddenly Harley leans back on the couch so his arm is around her.

'You okay Aria? You might need another drink. Go get one...' Harley says, her tone is unsettling for Aria. She frowns and stands quickly.

_Bitch..._

She heads over to the pool table. Heath smiles at her and he puts his que down.

'How are you?' He asks.

'I'm good. I can finally relax at an event like this...' she replies, adjusting her dress. Heath laughs.

'Whats the go with Harley?' he asks, nodding towards the couch.

Aria shakes her head. 'I have no idea. But I'm pretty sure they've both drank to much. I'm also pretty sure Julian would hate it if things went down between them. He doesn't seem like the type of guy that would like a girl like her...' She says, folding her arms as she glances over at them.

Chase snorts. 'Shes nice and all, shes a good friend of mine, but she gets around...'

Aria laughs a little. She watches her for a few moments. Eventually Harley stands and walks into the kitchen. Aria watches on as she starts talking to Jackson.

'Looks like hes telling her off' Heath says. Aria doesn't take her eyes off them. Jackson looks upset, his arms are flying around in the air.

_That'll teach her..._

Aria can just make out the swear words his saying to her. Harley is getting angry at him too, she keeps pointing fingers at him. Eventually Jackson grabs her forearm and leads her up the stairs. His footsteps are heavy, Aria can hear them from where shes standing.

'I hope he smacks her one to be honest...' Chase says. Heath laughs at him and pecks him on the cheek, just as Aria turns around.

'Get a room!' She says loudly, but she doesn't really mind.

She shakes her head as she walks away from them, making her way towards the stairs. She pauses at the bottom, trying to listen for yelling and shouting. She walks up the stairs slowly, making sure not to trip in her heels. When she gets to the top of the stairs, she freezes.

Aria gets there just in time to see Harley kiss Jackson. In the middle of the corridor, Harley has him pinned against a wall.

Aria gets mad within seconds, her fangs slide free from her gums and she snarls. she thrusts her hands out in front of her and with all her strength and willpower, she drags Harley away from him. She hits the floor, and she squeals. Aria side steps away from the stairs and she throws Harley towards them. She skids across the floor on her stomach until she reaches the edge.

'Stop! Please I'm sorry!' Harley yells, her hands grip the edge in an attempt to stop her going over.

Aria is furious. She looks at Jackson, who is clearly disgusted by what happened.

'No.' She says calmly, as she pushes her hands forward. Harley screams as she flies down the stairs head first. She thuds all the way to the bottom.

'Aria stop.' Jackson says, but Aria ignores him. She walks down the stairs, her invisible grip still on Harley. She stands on the last step and snarls again. Jackson follows her down too.

'You bitch! I trusted you! I called you my friend!' Aria yells. The entire room is already silent from Harleys loud fall. Aria clenches her hands into fists in front of her, and Harley screams again. Its so high-pitched it should shatter windows. Aria is hurting her, but she doesn't care.

'Aria enough.' Jackson places a hand on her shoulder, but she doesn't look at him. She snarls again, clenching her fists tighter. Harley wails and blood streams down her face.

'Get out! I never want to see you again!' She yells, throwing Harley towards the door. It opens by itself, and Harley skids out of the room. The door slams shut behind her.

The room hasn't made a sound since Harley fell down the stairs, nor have they moved. Everyone stares at her, but Aria just stares at the door. Jackson tightens his grip on her shoulder and she finally looks at him. Bloody tears streak her face, and shes breathing heavily.

'Relax babe.' he says, as he pulls her close and hugs her. She cries into his chest.

'I trusted her, even though i knew i shouldn't...' She mumbles. He strokes her hair trying to calm her.

Shes distraught. Another girl kissed her boyfriend, so she hurt them; and it made her feel good. Heath walks over to them, closely followed by Chase.

'Please ask everyone to leave' he whispers to Heath. He nods and he and Chase walk off.

Aria hugs him tighter. 'Why would she do that?' she asks, barely able to be heard.

'Just forget it. She had too much to drink.' Jackson says.

She looks at him. 'Did you kiss her back?'

'Hell no! Aria, i would never do that. I love you.' he says quietly kissing her hair.

_He loves me. Not her. Me._

'You've only said that to me once before. Do you mean it?' she asks, wiping her sleeve against her face.

'Yes. I mean it.' He says.

Aria smiles a little. She turns to see everyone leaving. 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be. You had every right to get mad. I just cant believe you are able to do what you did...'

'I was so mad, i wasn't thinking i just did it...' Aria says frantically.

'We can talk about this later.' He replies. He grasps her hand and leads her toward the door.

'Don't worry about cleaning up. Ill do it tomorrow.' Jackson says over his shoulder and Heath nods.

Jackson takes her into his room and closes the door behind him.

'Sit.' he says to her, gesturing to his bed. She obeys. He grabs a damp cloth from his en-suite bathroom and sits next to her, wiping her face gently.

'I'm sorry your birthday ended like this...' He says as he refolds the cloth in his hands.

'Its not your fault. Its hers.' she says, making an effort not to get mad again.

'I didn't want to kiss her. I didn't like it, at all. i want you to know that.' he says, looking into her eyes.

Aria nods. 'I know.' Jackson turns slightly and tosses the cloth into his fireplace. She didn't realise that it was white; it makes sense for him to throw it away.

He suddenly slides across the bed and opens a bedside drawer. He pulls out a small white box, before he slides it shut. He looks at Aria.

'Ive had this for centuries. It was my mothers, and i got it when she died. I think its best if you have it now...' he says softly, handing her the box. She takes it and examines for a few moments. She gently lifts the lid and gasps.

Inside is a necklace. It has 6 Lapis stones, three on either side; and a larger one that hangs at the bottom. Its incredibly beautiful and old. she looks up at him, her eyes turning red.

'Happy birthday.' he says, smiling.

'This is absolutely stunning! But i cant keep it, its your mothers...'

'I cant wear it. She'd want me to give it to someone i love. and I love you.' he says, leaning forward and kissing her. All the bad parts of the night disintegrate in that kiss. She closes her eyes and thanks Isabella for the amazing man shes given her. He helps her put on the necklace, and she hugs him. She wishes it will never end.


	8. The Night

Aria spent the night by Jacksons fire. She doesn't need sleep at the moment, but Jackson slept though the night. She stared into the fire for hours on end, trying to completely forget what happened. She leans back in her arm chair and looks at the ceiling.

_I cant believe she did that... _

She looks out the window at the sun that's begun to rise. she smiles, as a human she couldn't have looked at the sun but she can now. She runs her fingers over her necklace. He's given her something that belonged to his mum; its such a special and meaningful gift. The necklace is probably worth thousands of dollars now, but its sentimental value is priceless.

Jackson begins to stir in his bed. She stands and walks over to him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He looks up at her.

'Good morning' he mutters, rubbing his eyes.

She smiles. 'You must've been tired. You slept for ages...' she says playfully, kissing his forehead.

'I was.' he smiles at her. In one swift motion he wraps his arm around her neck and drags her down to lay next to him she squeals and he laughs, before he plants a quick kiss on her lips.

She smiles, its moments like these that make the past six months worth it. Jackson touches her necklace, and she smiles.

'I remember her wearing this' he says softly.

'Your mum?'

'Yeah. she never took it off. It cost my father so much back then.' he shakes his head against his pillow.

'Miller. That's what he was right?' she asks

'Yes. We were well off peasants to be honest. Everyone needed flour, so we were never hungry. He gave that to her not long before she died.' he says, pointing at the necklace.

'I'm sorry.' She says softly.

'Don't be. She was sick, we knew it would happen. _I _knew id watch all my family die one day.' his face is emotionless.

_I never thought about that..._

'I didn't mean to bring that up...' he says, stroking her cheek. She shakes her head.

'Never mind.' she says. Jackson rolls onto his back under the covers as Aria sits on them.

She looks down at her crossed legs. 'Victoria said other stuff in her office the other day.' she says. Jackson props himself up on an elbow.

'Like what?'

'She tested my powers and gave me a _task_...' She says, scratching her neck.

He frowns. 'Tell me.' He says harshly.

'She said before Isabella disappeared, she told Victoria to kill the other vampire she created.' she says.

'Victoria isn't the only one?'

'Nope. She wanted me to do it for her.'

Jackson sits up. 'Are you serious?'

'I said i wouldn't help. But she threatened to have me _removed..._'

Jacksons face turns angry in an instant. 'She what?' He yells, flying out of bed. aria jumps, startled by his quick reaction. He storms over to his wardrobe and pulls on a plain t-shirt and jeans over his boxers. Aria smiles a little, but when he turns around, it vanishes.

'I will not have someone as corrupt as her leading this academy into the ground. You will not do her dirty work and she will never threaten you again!' he yells, heading towards the door. Aria giggles

'You're talking all olden days again...' She says, covering her mouth. He turns and looks at her, his face quickly softening. He snorts, trying to hold back a laugh.

'Sorry...' he says, tossing his hair with his fingers. '...She makes me so mad. I can report her to a higher vampire counsel if you want me to.' He continues.

'There's a higher authority that her?' Aria asks him.

He nods. 'There are a few vampires almost as old as her, they make up a counsel and they sort of govern the vampires outside the school in the other states. One of them is probably the woman she wants to kill and probably the eldest member.' he says.

Aria stops for a moment and thinks about this. If she tells them, Victoria will definitely try to end her. If she doesn't, she'll try to anyway. And if she helps, she attempts to kill the second oldest vampire in existence.

_This is not going to end well at all..._

She finally nods at him. 'Well, no matter what i do I'm losing in one way or another.'

'I'll talk to Finn and make a call. He specializes in that sort of thing.' He says quickly before opening the door.

'Jackson.' She calls out just before he leaves.

'Thank you for the necklace' She says softly. He smiles and winks at her before he disappears.

Aria tidied Jacksons room before she headed back to her own. She needs a shower and some food. She walks through the marble lobby and up the stairs, she peers into Victorias' office as she passes. When she has walked past it, she glances up towards her room.

Harley leans against the wall by her door. Arias calm mood leaves in a heartbeat. Harley catches her eye, just as she moves her hands out in front of her.

'No! Please don't! I just want to talk!' She says, waving at her to lower her hands. Aria snarls.

'I said I never wanted to see you again!' Aria yells at her, walking forward.

'Please, let me explain...' Harley says, her voice faltering. she's clearly scared.

Aria shakes her head. 'No. You did the wrong thing and I want you to leave.'

Aria is only a few feet in front of her now. Harley has backpedalled away from her towards her bedroom door. she now rests against it.

'Get away from my room.' Aria hisses. Harley says nothing and shakes her head. Aria raises her hands again, but she doesn't move.

'Harley. You're a bitchy whore that kissed the only good thing to happen to me in a very long time. I dislike you; no, i hate you. You don't deserve me or Jackson or any of the other warriors in your life. Now I'm telling you, leave' Aria growls at her. 'For good.'

Harleys' face drops. 'You cant order me to leave. You're not in charge...'

Aria retaliates, tossing her aside like a rag doll. She falls to the ground, not as hard as before but enough to be painful.

Arias face softens. 'You're right. I'm not. If i ever get the chance, i will expel you from this school and this entire state and i wont blink an eye.' Aria flings open her door and slams it shut.

_I have anger issues... _

Aria showers quickly and dresses quickly too. She opens the fridge, devours a blood bag and turns to her bed. suddenly, her phone starts buzzing on the table beside her bed. She answers it; its Jackson.

'Hey.' She says, smiling at the sounds of his voice.

'Hi. I found Finn and he explained what needs to happen.' he says, his voice crackling on the other end of the phone.

'Spill it.'

'Accusing a high authority figure of anything, including corruption, is really difficult...' he says. 'Its hard to make any counsel members believe you. They don't accept phone calls...' he says, his voice lowers.

'Alright, so what do we do?' she asks, feeling sneaky making these plans.

'The counsel headquarters are in Seattle. We have to show our faces and convince them to remove her.' he says.

_Great, another drive..._

'Its just over an hour away, and we're going straight there and straight back. I promise its only a day trip.' he continues

'Last time I left here, i was turned into a vampire...' she says sarcastically.

'I want Victoria gone, Aria.' he replies seriously.

'Okay, we'll go tomorrow. How do we get out of the fence without Victorias permission?'

'We're going to have to leave without it.' he says.

'No! She'll never let us back!' aria raises her voice.

'We're taking a risk, but if we convince the counsel she's corrupt, they'll travel here to punish her. She will have to let us back.' he says

'This is so risky. If we don't convince them, we have no where to go...' Aria says as she begins to pace in her room.

'Relax, we will convince them. I have to go organize a few things, ill visit you later.' he says.

'Okay, see you' she says and hangs up. she chucks her phone onto her bed.

_I am not going to die again. _

Aria tries to fill in time before Jackson arrives. She scrolls through news pages on her laptop, until she sees an article on her. She clicks on it.

"_Aria Lestiva would have turned 18 yesterday. Her family is still emotionally stressed and scared for her safety after the phone call they received from her 5 months ago. The phone could not be tracked. Police are continuing their investigations..."_

She rubs her eyes. She misses her family a little, but wouldn't go back even if she could. She shuts it down and places it next to her. A shiver runs down her spine, making Goosebumps on her arms. She didn't realise she could feel cold but she does. She walks over to her wardrobe and searches around for a scarf and socks. She crouches, looking into the lowest shelf and finds a white scarf and wraps it around her neck. She pulls out a few more pieces of clothes, unable to find a single pair of socks; and that's when she sees it.

She pauses as she reaches in and pulls out a dark red corset. She looks at it, her face disgusted.

'What the hell?' She says, knowing no one will hear her question. She turns it over and examines the satin ribbon in the front. Its Gothic and awful. She throws it back into her wardrobe and shuts it.

'I should bin that right now...' she says to herself, heading back to her bed.

_Jackson would hate it anyway..._

She sits down on her bed and freezes. Why is she even considering wearing it at all, let alone in front of Jackson.

_Would I ever show myself to him? What if he wants it? _ Thoughts swirl in her head. She doesn't know if shes ready for all that yet. She knows she's close with Jackson, but will she ever want to take it to the next level?

_Do I really want to?_ She pauses

_Yes..._

Arias thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. It opens and Jacksons head pops around from behind it.

'Hey.' he says, smiling at her as he walks in. She returns the smile.

'So did you organize everything?' she asks

'Yeah. We cant get a car without Victorias permission but its close enough for us to run there.' he says, plopping himself next to her on the bed. She nods, liking the idea of speed running for a long time. She'd get to test her skills.

'What happens if we dont convince them?' She asks, looking up at him.

He sighs. 'I dont know. I dont want to know. Making "false accusations" is a crime...' He says softly, placing his hand on her back.

'I dont want to die again.' She says as her nerves begin to build.

'You wont, Aria. You're able to protect yourself now. It wont come to that.'

_Thats what you said last time..._

She places her hand on his cheek and pulls him into a kiss. Its not just a normal kiss, this kiss is urgent; needed. She brushes her tongue over his bottom lip, and he responds. He grabs her waist and pulls her closer, and she wraps her arms around his neck. She can feel his fangs slide out of his upper jaw and they graze her bottom lip. She gasps as he pulls it into his mouth, tasting the small amount of blood that was there. She drops her arms from his neck and slides them under his arms, until they find their spot on the back of his shoulders. She shuffles backwards without breaking their kiss, pulling him down so he's above her. He supports himself on his arms and knees, only a foot above her. Suddenly, he pulls away sharply.

'What are you doing?' He asks, in his "fang voice" she knows so well. He breathes heavily.

She looks up at him. 'I'm not going to risk my life or yours again without this happening...' she says quietly before kissing him again. He groans against her mouth before pulling away again.

'Aria, we have all the time in the world to...' He begins, but stops suddenly when he feels her fingers brush over his bare skin on his back. His eyes widen at her as if asking her a question, and she nods slightly. She hears a rumble deep in his throat as he leans down and kisses her again, his hands gradually skimming the skin on her waist. She closes her eyes and smiles as she lets the night unfold.


	9. The Departure

When they wake, Aria is wrapped in Jackson; his arms hold her close to him. Her back is pressed to his front, and she cant feel him breathing out of habit. She rolls in his arms to face him, and he tosses from the movement. Her muscles protest, but she ignores them. She brushes his cheek with her hand and his eyes flutter open. He smiles.

'Good morning' he says lazily.

'Hi' she grins, kissing him quickly.

'How are you?' He asks, placing a hand on her waist.

She nods. 'Good. Great actually.' she says as she giggles. Her muscles ache, she feels weak.

'Are you sore?' he asks, noticing the stiffness of her.

'No, I'm amazing.'

He kisses her forehead. She remembers everything from last night and smiles.

'We need to go to the counsel today.' he says.

'Crap! I forgot!' She says, sitting upright. He laughs.

'We got distracted.' he winks at her.

'Shush! We have things to do!' she says, shuffling off the bed. She tries to stand but her legs give out. She lands on the edge of the mattress

'Whoa.' Jackson says, as he shuffles to help her. She rubs her legs. 'You lied to me' he says, poking her in the side.

'It was a white lie it doesn't count. I'm not that sore.' she says, looking over her shoulder at him.

'I didn't mean to hurt you...' he says softly.

'You didn't. I think this is just what happens after something like that...' she giggles. He kisses her on the cheek and then on the neck.

'Stop that, I cant handle anymore of you...' she says, playfully, forcing herself to stand and walk to her wardrobe. She pulls out clean underwear, jeans and a cardigan and dresses quickly.

'You look better without them.' Jackson says pointing to her clothes. She shakes her head at him. Jackson dresses too and walks to the fridge.

'I forgot you dont drink normal stuff.' he says, closing the fridge.

'Sorry!' Aria calls out from the bathroom as she brushes her teeth.

'I think we should leave for Seattle tomorrow. So you can recover...' he says. Aria walks out of the bathroom.

'No, we should go today. We dont need another repeat of last night.' she says, pointing at her bed. He laughs and winks at her.

'Stop it!' She says playfully. 'Okay! We'll go tomorrow.' she caves in.

'I need to find Finn and check if its still possible to go on a weekend.' He says, walking towards the door.

Please dont tell everyone about last night... She thinks.

"Of course not." He says in his mind as he leaves her room.

Aria has something to drink then heads off to the common room. She remembers how much mess was there after her party ended so abruptly. She arrives at the door and lets herself in. Heath and Chase sit on the couch watching TV. They look up at her.

'Hey!' they say almost in unison.

'Hi...' she looks around. 'I came to help clean up but youve beaten me to it.' She says, laughing a little.

'Yeah, we wanted to chill in here so we tidied up' Heath says, looking at Chase.

'Thanks. I appreciate it.' She says, walking over and sitting next to them on the couch. They both look at her.

'Can we help you?' Heath says, wondering why shes disturbing them. She shakes her head but smiles.

Heath tilts his head. 'Youre walking funny.' He says.

She glares at him. 'I am not! Im walking normally!' she says loudly.

'Its okay Aria. We could tell the second you walked in.' Chase says, smiling at her.

She says nothing.

Heath punches her in the arm. 'Come on Aria! We haven't seen you or Jackson in almost 24 hours. He hasn't been in his room since you left. You dont fool us' he says proudly. Aria tries to keep a straight face, but fails. A grin brightens her face. The guys laugh at her.

'Called it. He better have been gentle with you...' Heath says, frowning at her.

'Stop being such a Mum' she says.

'Well we already know the answer to that question.' Chase chimes in.

'Stop it! Shut up!' she feels bright red. The guys chuckles at her.

'Jackson and I are going to Seattle. Victoria is corrupt.' She says, straying from the topic.

Heath stares at her. 'Youre kidding right? The counsel won't listen to claims by a newbie!' He says getting flustered.

She nods. 'I have to try. She threatened me.' She says.

'Shes such a...' heath begins but Chases hand tightens on his arm.

Heath sighs. 'You know what happens if they dont believe you right?' His eyes dark.

She shakes her head. 'No? Jackson didnt say anything.' She frowns.

'If they believe youre making false accusations, they will execute you.' He says softly.

Arias imaginary heartbeat stops. No...

'I had no idea...' she says, fiddling with her hair.

Her day has gone from amazing to crap in minutes. She decides to leave to think things over.

Back in her room she sits on her bed.

If I'm gonna die, im gonna die trying... she tells herself. She runs her fingers over her temples. Bad stuff keeps happening to her.

Her room door opens and Jackson walks in.

'Its still okay to go tomorrow.' He says walking over to her in plants a kiss on her head.

She looks straight ahead. 'You didnt tell me that they'd kill us if they didnt believe us.' She says before glancing up at him. He frowns.

'Fucking heath!' He growls. 'I didnt want to tell you because I knew you'd want to back out...' he says, brushing her hair.

'I dont want to back out. I want to get her fired from the school.' She says strongly. He smiles.

'Your bravery astounds me. Youre such a young vampire...' he leans down and pecks her on the lips.

'I want to leave now. I dont want to wait until tomorrow.' She says, standing up beside him.

'Its 2pm. We wont be back until dark.' He says, frowning slightly at her.

'Alright, if you insist.' He says. 'Put on some sketchers.' He gestures to her wardrobe.

'I have no socks!' she laughs. He walks over and searches through her clothes. He pulls out a white bundle.

'These?' He snorts.

'I looked ages for them!' She shouts. He tosses them at her along with her shoes. She slips them on and readjusts her clothes.

'Will I be able to see where I'm going?' she asks, as they walk out the door.

'Yeah, as long as you dont run to fast. I won't be able to keep up.' He laughs. He taps her backside light land she glares at him. They make it to the lobby and outside. Jackson points to the outdoor classroom. They walk down the path and past the bricked area Intl the trees. They walk at normal speed until they reach the fence.

'Once we leave, sensors will notify the office that people have left the grounds. They won't let us back if we're alone...' he says, looking at her sternly. She nods.

They scale the 10 foot wire fences with ease and land on the other side.

I love you...

'I love you too'

They begin to run, dodging trees and bushes. She follows him, running at half the speed she could. Wind hits her hair, blowing her hair in all directions. She smiles, feeling free. This is the first time shes out since becoming a vampire. She lives in this moment.


	10. The Counsel

They run for 45 minutes before reaching the outskirts of Seattle. Aria doesnt feel tired, but Jackson looks left worn out. He takes her hand and they walk into the city.

Seattle is massive. Sky scrapers and people everywhere, she likes it more than Portland. Jackson walks through the city, admiring the sights. She can't stop smiling.

They come to an old looking building grey building and his grip tightens on her hand. Its small and not visible the street. To humans it probably looks like a old courtroom.

This is it...

They walk inside to a long corridor. It is barely lit, but they can still see. They walk to the end and they stop at a large door. Suddenly hands grip their shoulders and they're dragged apart. Aria yelps, but jackson growls.

'Stop!' He yells, and the tugging on their arms stop. Someone raises a flashlight and shines it in their faces. Aria squints.

A man with deep red eyes carries it. 'Bare your fangs.' He commands. They both obey, their fangs sliding free. Her heart would've been pounding if she was alive. He glares at them and opens the door in front of them. Several other people are holding them, as they are pushed into the room. Everything is golden coloured. The tiled floor is slippery under their feet. A large oak table with several chairs surrounding it is the only furniture in the room. Aria looks behind her. Two men hold her arms and two men hold Jacksons. They share a look of nervousness.

The guards continue to push them and just a few feet away from the table, they are shoved to their knees.

This is all traditional right?

'Yes. Its like a trial. Dont be afraid.'

I'm not...

But aria doesnt quite believe it herself. Jackson and aria kneel side by side. They don't look at each other. They just wait.

Suddenly feet walk across the tiles. Sneakers squeaking and heels clicking. Aria doesnt dare look up, but she hears the chairs being pulled out from the table as they sit.

The hands let go of their arms and she hears them retreat, a door thudding.

'Your names.' A loud deep voice commands. Its a male, his voice reverberates within her.

'Jackson Miller and Aria Lestiva, sir' Jackson speaks up. She doesnt look at him.

'And what is it that you seek?' The voice says again. Aria knows its best to let Jackson do the talking. Their language is formal and old.

'We seek a fair hearing and just decision into our reported crime.' Jackson says loudly. She wants to look up, but resists.

'You may stand.' The voice orders. aria and jackson rise to their feet, finally looking at the counsel.

A large man with very dark skin sits directly opposite them. The side chairs are filled with four other men and two women. They are all harsh to look at and have bright red eyes. Aria doesnt move from her standing position.

The dark skinned man stands.

'Your eyes...' he says, squinting at aria. Her stomach drops. '...I've never seen anything like them before.' He continues. The other members murmur as he walks closer to her. He stops in front of her, examining her. She can't breathe.

'My name is Abel. You are so unusual...' he says, reaching a hand up and touching her cheek. She feels so uncomfortable.

Dont freak out Jackson.

Abel brushes her face and runs his thumb over her chin, she doesnt move.

A woman at the table interrupts. 'What is the reported crime?' She asks. Abel turns around and holds up his hand.

'Patience. Where are you from Aria?' He asks, finally taking his hand away. She relaxes a little.

'Forks, Sir' she says as bravely as she can. He nods.

'Such divine views there...' he says, talking a step back. 'How old are you, Aria?'

'18, sir.' She says

'Vampire age, I should have specified.' He says, flashing her a smile.

Use formal language aria... she tells herself.

'I am only a few weeks old sir.' She says. Abels' eyebrows lift, clearly surprised.

'Welcome newborn' he says excitedly. 'Now you shall inform me of the crime.' He says, looking at jackson.

'Sir, we want to report the corruption of Miss Victoria Macalister, headmistress of St Nightfalls Academy.' Jackson replies strongly.

Some at the table laughs, another snickers. Abel looks at his shoes.

'Victoria is one of the most powerful vampires in the world. Your accusations if found false will result in death. Do you wish to continue?' He says sternly, looking up at them again. Jackson glances at aria quickly.

'Yes'

'Very well. Carry on...' Abel says waving at them.

aria cuts in before jackson can speak. 'Sir, before I can explain, I need to show you something...' she says. Jackson glares at her, she knows shes doing something she shouldnt. Aria lifts her hands in front of her, and Labels empty chair at the table tips over. It crashes to the ground and the counsel members stare at her. Abel grins.

'Impossible. Youre a descendant!' He shouts. He isn't shocked, hes excited. He walks quickly back to his chair and picks it up.

'Incredible.' A man mutters from his spot at the table.

'Victoria knows what I am. She said she needed my powers for a task. She told me Isabella herself had asked her to murder the other vampire she created. She wanted me to help her complete that task...' aria says. Jackson doesnt speak. Abels face drops.

'Unfortunately there is no proof that this conversation ever took place...' Abel says.

Aria begins to panic. She looks at Jackson and he looks scared too. suddenly the door which they came through opens and they turn to look.

A tall woman with ginger hair walks towards the table. She doesnt look at them, just Abel. Her dress drags along the ground behind her. Shes stunningly beautiful.

'Abel, you do not have a say in this matter anymore.' She says loudly. She waves her hands at him, and he snarls, before disappearing. The woman looks at Aria.

'I believe you.' She says. Aria is shocked. Shes heard everything.

'I am the vampire Victoria wishes to see killed. My name is Genevieve and it is not Isabella that wants me dead, it is Victoria herself. I know this because she has been attempting to murder me for half a millennium.' She says. 'To be in the presence of the blood of Isabella is a privilege. This information is true and i would be dishonoring her if I did not act upon this...' she says, walking over to Aria.

'Myself and the counsel will travel back to the Academy with you. I will not deliberate on the decision of this case. Victoria will be executed.' She looks back at the members at the table. Their mouths hang in disbelief. Aria can't believe it either. The oldest vampire in the world has sided with her. Genevieve smiles.

'Aria, yourself and Jackson are courageous for coming here. I admire that.' She says. Suddenly Jackson is beside her, her hand in his. He kisses her on the cheek.

You did it

We did.

Aria can't get the smile off her face.

Genevieve coughs. 'We leave now.' She commands, and every member at the table stands. Aria and jackson follow her and the counsel members out of the room, corridor and onto the street. Several black cars are parked outside and Genevieve tells them to get in. The cars drive them to the edge of the city and they all get out. They run into the forest and towards the academy; uncertain of what happens next.


	11. The Victory

Aria and Jackson arrive at the school first. Its dusk, and beginning to become hard to see. They see the fence they climbed over when they left, but the too has wire on it now. Aria looks at Jackson, he frowns.

'Thats electric. They've only done this one other time before...' he says, examining the top of the fence.

'Can we climb it?' She asks.

'We can, but it'll be painful even for a vampire.' He looks at her. 'Well go around the front.' He says, taking her hand. Genevieve and the counsel arrive behind them.

'Its been such a long time!' She says excitedly, looking back at her counsel.

Jackson leads everyone to the front gate. Arias only seen it a few times, shes never really paid attention to it before. Its a double gate, with intricate patterns on the metal. Its locked with a massive chain and padlock.

Aria reaches for it, but jackson tugs her back.

'Its silver. It will melt your skin if you touch it.' He says. She didnt know silver would effect her but shes glad she knows now. Genevieve growls.

'I never liked her! She was a spoilt peasant when Isabella found her...' she walks towards the gate and fingers around the metal, narrowly avoiding e silver chain.

'Victoria! Show yourself!' She screams loudly. Several students look at her, but none stop.

She knew where we were going...

Aria can see the lobby door from her position. It opens and Victoria storms out, the wind blowing her hair back. She looks evil, her fangs bared in a snarl.

'Genevieve, you have evaded me for 500 years! You took all of Isabella's attention! I'm pleased youre here, seeing at my helper failed. Now i can kill you myself!' She says, stopping a few feet in front of Genevieve. She can't reach her.

'You've been found guilty of corruption and will be executed.' Genevieve says strongly. Victoria snarls at her, a smile pulls at her lips.

'Even if you jump the fence, I have more physical attacking experience than you.' Victoria says, backing up from the gate.

Aria wants this to end, she thrusts her hands towards the silver chain and it breaks, the gates flying backwards. Genevieve looks at her and grins.

'Just like Isabella...' she says under her breath. Victorias smile vanishes. The counsel members run towards her and she doesnt try to escape. She looks defeated. They knock her to her knees and she cries out as bones crack under the force. Genevieve walks forward and steps on her hand on the ground. More bones crack and she screams.

Aria feels no empathy. Victoria was a terrible person to begin with. However, she turns and hugs jackson burying her head into his chest. He holds her tight.

'You dont have to watch'

I'm not going to...

Victoria screams. 'I helped you aria! I saved you!'

Aria doesnt move. A tinge of guilt tugs at her heart. Victoria did help her.

Victoria let's out a bloodcurdling scream. After a few moments, it stops instantly.

'Shes gone aria. She won't threaten you anymore'

She relaxes slightly before trying to turn around. Jackson stops her from moving.

'Wait...' he says. Aria hears movements and feet scuffing. He finally releases her and she turns.

Hundreds of students are staring at them. Genevieve is smiling at her. Victoria's body is no where to be seen. The counsel members are gone.

'Isabella created a strong and beautiful bloodline.' She says. Aria manages to smile slightly.

'Who leads us now?' A voice asks from behind her. Heath appears, his arms folded across him. He looks a little shaken.

Genevieve smiles. 'Well, I'd love to experience being a headmistress, but I have more commitments than necessary already.' She glances at Jackson

He frowns. 'Hell no! I dont want to run a school!' He says loudly. Aria giggles.

Genevieve tilts her head. 'Youre the next highest rank in the school. The position is rightfully yours.'

'Can't another counsel member do it?' He says. Aria steps away from him and addresses her

'Genevieve, please stay? Run your business from our building. Just be here for support. We dont need a "leader" anyway' aria says.

Genevieve smiles at Aria. 'You think like Isabella too.' She nods. 'I would be willing to test this.'

aria grins 'whatever you want you can have.'

Aria pulls jackson inside the gates and Genevieve closes it behind them. The students begin to disperse and Genevieve heads inside the building she now calls her home. Aria kisses Jackson, hands find her waist as he kisses her back, realising what an amazing feat has occured.


	12. The Change

Jackson and Aria sleep soundly that night. Neither woke until the sun was shining in their faces. Aria woke up first and showered while Jackson stayed asleep. She loved how peaceful he looked when he slept. The weather was warming up again, and Aria loved it. The sun and the warm breeze were some of her favourite things.

She slips on a white dress that sits just above the knee and some sandals. Summer is her favourite season because she loves the clothes she can wear. She ties her hair in a ponytail, her hair still touching the middle of her back.

'You have some fine legs' Aria turns to see Jackson leaning against the backboard of her bed. She smiles.

'Are you getting up sometime today? its getting too late to be in bed...' she replies as she closes the door of her wardrobe.

"_**I could get up..." **_She hears in his mind. She snaps her head to him.

'You're disgusting.' She says, laughing as she heads for the door. He chuckles too.

'Where are you going?' he asks as she opens the door.

'I'm going to see Genevieve.' She smiles. 'Get out of bed and come find me later.' she winks at him as she leaves.

She walks to the office at the end of the corridor. The wooden blinds are no longer on the window. Aria looks in as she walks past. The room is bright and cheerful. She knocks on the door and cracks it open.

'Aria! i was hoping to see you!' Genevieve says. She's standing by the window. Aria walks inside and shuts the door.

'Hi. I was just coming to see how you were' she smiles. Genevieve smiles back at her.

'I'm amazing. This office was so dark and gloomy when i arrived. So last night i pulled down those god awful blinds and tidied up' She says, gesturing around the room. 'What do you think?' she asks aria.

Aria glances around. Victorias old desk is gone and has been replaced with a glass one. A notebook computer sits in the center. All the old antique furniture has been replaced with new modern upgrades. The office is classy and stylish, Aria would love one like it.

'I love it. Its very modern.' Aria says.

'It is, isn't it? So, can i help you with something?' Genevieve asks Aria. She nods.

'I know its not really my place to ask or suggest, but Victorias rules here were extreme...' Aria says, leaning against the door.

'Were they? Of course, we can change them! New and improved everything!' Genevieve says loudly as she sits down on her desk. Aria laughs as she sits in the chair opposite her.

'Okay, so what were some of these rules you wish to change?' Genevieve asks, opening her laptop. She taps a few keys before she looks at Aria.

'Well, Victoria wouldn't allow anyone outside the fence; even to go shopping.' She says.

'How ridiculous! I will scrap that rule immediately; however i will set a curfew and monitor who leaves the premises.' Genevieve taps away as Aria waits to speak again.

'This may sound weird, but she also didn't allow men in womens dorms and vice versa...' Aria says quietly. Genevieve is shocked.

'That is even more ridiculous. Vampires need to experience everything!' Genevieve says, throwing her hands in the air.

_is she a hippie or what?_

She continues to type for a few more moments. She looks up at Aria with a grin on her face.

'You and Jackson are probably the most attractive couple i have ever seen.' She says.

Aria laughs awkwardly. 'Uh... Thanks.'

'Did you break these rules?' She asks, raising an eyebrow at Aria.

'What?'

'I wont be mad, I'm hardly a headmistress.' Genevieve chuckles.

Aria feels more awkward by the minute.

'Come on Aria, I'm trying to be a cool hip vampire.' She says, waving her arms around in some unfortunate looking way.

Aria knows she's making an effort to make friends and fit in. She is nearly 1000 years old after all.

'Um... yeah, once.' Aria manages to say. Genevieve grins at her.

'See? Rules are made to be broken! But now there are none of these ludicrous rules...' She says, pressing enter once before shutting the lid on her computer.

'Just be careful. You're incredibly powerful, but no amount of power stops a heartbreak.' She says, flashing a quick smile at Aria. She nods and heads for the door.

'Aria, I'm going to call a school assembly in an hour. Please attend.' Genevieve says just before Aria leaves. She nods and exits.

_What was that all about?_

Aria walks down the stairs and into the lobby. She walks into the courtyard and heads towards the fountain. suddenly hands grab her shoulders from behind her. She whirls around.

'Hey.' Jackson pecks her on the cheek. 'How is she?'

Aria smiles 'She's redecorated. She seems really happy. She's changed some of the school rules too.' she says, taking his hand in hers.

'Really?'

'Yep. We can leave the grounds now between certain times, and its okay to go into your opposite genders dorm now.' she winks at him.

'Oh, that's amazing! We can run whenever we like now.' Jackson smiles at her.

They spent the next hour in Isabellas' Courtyard before the assembly began.

Jackson takes Arias hand and they walk to a building she's never seen before.

'What is this?' she asks.

'Its rarely used. Its a theatre like hall.' he says. They walk into the building.

It is similar to the amphitheatre where they are taught Phys Ed, except each terrace has tens of chairs lining it. Students have already begun to fill the hall and Jackson and Aria quickly find a seat. They sit next to the other warriors in the same row.

Genevieve walks on stage and the room goes silent. Aria looks at Jackson for a moment before watching her.

'Thank you for attending this assembly on such short notice, but i felt it was vital to keep you updated.' Genevieve says as she slowly paces back and forth.

'I'm sure most of you saw what happened to your Headmistress yesterday. I'm here to tell you that she violated a law set by the Counsel, which warranted death.'

The crowd starts to whisper quietly, but she continues.

'I am the leader of the Counsel. I know reside within your main building, however i am not your Headmistress. I am your advisor.'

'I do not wish to make decisions for this school, though i did alter some rules...'

She stops pacing.

'You will now be allowed to leave the school grounds between the hours of 9am and 9pm'

The students cheer loudly and clap. Aria laughs; everyone is so excited.

'Alright, please keep listening. You are also permitted to enter a dorm belonging to a member of the opposite sex...'

The room roars into life again, people stand and chant. Genevieve smiles, giving them all a moment to celebrate.

She continues 'If these alterations are taken advantage of and used incorrectly, they will be fixed back to the ones they were before.'

'You can also hunt your own meals in the woods surrounding the school. It is a vampire right to catch their own prey.'

_She makes us sound like animals._

**"We are animals. We are at the top of the food chain now."**

Aria looks at Jackson. His eyes are bright and happy.

'That is all i wish to tell you. You may leave.' Genevieve walks off stage and the students start to leave.

Outside, Heath gives Aria a hug.

'If you had anything to do with these rule changes, I love you!' he shouts. His smile reaches his eyes.

She laughs 'You love me anyway'

Heath waves goodbye and disappears. Aria thinks he's going to the front gate, along with every other student.

Jackson kisses her cheek from behind her.

'So, what now Miss Lestiva?' He asks before planting another kiss on her. Its on her neck this time and is sends tingles throughout her body.

'Don't do that in public!' she says, stepping away from him.

he laughs 'Do you want to leave the grounds too?'

She shakes her head slowly. 'No. There's no point. I cant _hunt my prey_' She says mocking Genevieves' speech. 'But you can if you want.'

'Nah, I don't want to.' He says.

They walk side by side back to the common room. Julian is on the couch when they walk in.

'Hey. You didn't go hunting?' Jackson asks when he walks in.

'Nah. Every other student did, it'd be crowded. Ill go later.' He replies, without taking his eyes off the TV.

Jackson takes Arias hand and pulls her towards the spare bedroom. She stops.

'I don't think...'

Jackson shushes her. 'He can still hear you.'

'I don't think this is wise...' She finishes her sentence as a whisper.

'We're not doing anything too extreme, I promise.'

Aria sighs and lets him take her into the room. He shuts the door, and in an instant he's kissing her. His fingers run through her hair and her hands brace against his chest. He's kissing her like he's been deprived for years. His head moves to the crook of her neck and she feels the smooth surface of his fangs. Her breath hitches. Jackson sinks his fangs into her neck and she gasps.

He withdraws quickly and lets go of her as he stumbles backwards. He's frowning.

'What? Did i do something wrong?' Aria asks, panicked.

He shakes his head. 'No. I'm sorry, i just...' He wipes the back of his hand across his mouth. Arias heart begins to sink.

'What, Jackson?'

'I cant...'

She walks forward and takes his hands.

'Tell me what's wrong.'

'I cant say it without hurting your feelings.'

Arias chest tightens. She knows she's about to receive a blow. 'Spit it out.' She says, growing impatient.

'You taste different.'

She frowns. 'I what?'

Her grip tightens on his hands. 'I don't know Aria, you blood isn't the same. I don't like it.' He says, his voice quiet.

Tears spring to her eyes. His words have cut deeply.

'I'm sorry. I don't know why, maybe its just me...'

Aria drops his hands and walks towards the bed. She sits on the edge. Her eyes flow over, and blood streaks her face. Jackson sits down beside her.

'I'm sorry.'

She sniffs. 'Don't be. Its not your fault I taste bad now.' she snaps.

Jackson wraps his arm around her waist. He stays silent.

Aria looks at him. 'Why?'

He shakes his head and quickly wipes her cheeks. 'I don't know.'

'Am i dying?'

He snorts. 'Of course not! We're immune. Maybe you just ate some off blood.'

'I haven't eaten since before we left. You had my blood before then.'

'Lets just not worry about this okay? You were right anyway, its not wise to start anything here.' he says as he walks towards the door. Once he's gone, Aria falls backwards onto the bed. She feels thoroughly rejected and she cries until falls asleep.


	13. The Impossible

Aria wakes to a soft kiss on the cheek. The bedroom light is on, and Jackson sits beside her.

'Its late. You can stay here if you want.' He says. The memories of the rejection flood her mind and she rolls over, her back towards him.

'Please dont be like this.' He says, placing a hand on her shoulder.

'You pushed me away. You started something then pushed me away.' she says.

'I know. I'm sorry. Look, your blood will go back to normal soon.' he rubs her arm

'You dont know that. What if all my freaky goddess powers have made my blood bad?

'Don't be silly.' he says quickly. 'I will love you no matter what.'

'Yeah yeah.' She says, shifting slightly. Jackson stands and walks to the door.

'Well, ill see you tomorrow.' He says before he leaves.

Aria lays there brainstorming all the possible reasons as to why she "tastes bad". She squeezes her eyes shut to stop from crying again and she eventually falls asleep.

Its morning when she wakes, sun streams into the room and lights it up. She sits up and looks at the bed. Her tears have left marks on covers. She stands and quickly rips them off, tossing them into a pile by the door. She rubs her hands on her cheeks to get rid of any tear marks, and notices her dress is stained too. White was such a bad idea. and walks into the kitchen.

Heath, Lucas and Julian sit on the couch. Heath is the only one who looks up.

'Hey there!' Heath says cheerfully as he walks over to her. His smile fades when he sees the state of her.

'What on earth happened?' he asks, his voice is quiet.

'Nothing. Its nothing.' She says.

'If he hurt you...'

'No, Heath. Its not like that.'

_He did hurt me, just not physically._

'Okay. I trust you. You should definitely go and get cleaned up. Lucas will be a douche if he sees you.'

Aria nods and hugs him before she leaves the common room.

Aria runs as fast as she can back to her room. Once inside, she showers and dresses again.

_Why do i taste bad..._

She walks to the kitchen and drinks a blood bag. Its one theory she has as to why she tastes bad: Shes just hungry.

Aria sits on her bed for an hour. She doesn't speak, she doesn't move. She just thinks.

She stands from her bed and leaves her room, walking down the corridor with determination.

_I will find out whats wrong with me._

She heads back to the common room. She cracks open the door.

'Heath, if you're in there can i talk to you for a minute?' She shouts through the door.

Suddenly Heath pops out the door, closing it behind him.

'Much better.' He says smiling.

'Jackson says i taste bad.' She blurts out in a hurry. He frowns.

'Uhhh...'

'My blood. He doesn't like it anymore.' She says.

'Whats wrong with it?'

'I dont know! He bit me yesterday afternoon and he just shoved me away.' She says. She pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to calm herself.

'I haven't done anything. What is wrong with me?'

He hugs her, and she buries her head into his chest. 'I'm sure theres nothing wrong with you, Aria.' He says, slowly brushing her hair. 'Have you spoken to Genevieve?' He asks. She pulls away enough to look at him.

'Not yet. I came to you first.'

'If anyone knows, it'll be her.' He says. Aria steps back.

'Okay. Ill go and see her. If you see Jackson, tell him thats where i am.'

Heath nods and heads back inside. Aria walks slowly back to the lobby and up the stairs until she reaches Genevieves' door. She knocks once, and shes called inside.

'Hello Aria. You're making me sad. Why are you sad?' She says as Aria sits opposite her.

'Sorry, i dont mean for my emotions to be contagious.' Aria replies.

'Talk to me' Genevieve gestures to her.

She takes a deep breath. 'I feel awkward about this, but i had no one else to go to.'

Genevieve tilts her head and Aria continues.

'After the assembly yesterday, Jackson and i went into a room...' Arias voice is shaky but Genevieve says nothing.

'...He bit me. He's bitten me before and its all fine and dandy...'

'What happened?' She asks, beginning to frown.

'... He pushed me away and told me i "tasted different". I haven't done anything out of the ordinary, ive stayed well fed. Whats wrong with me?' Aria finishes, rubbing her forehead with her palm.

Genevieve says nothing for a while.

'I assume that your genes only allow you to eat human blood. Have you had animal blood lately?' She asks Aria.

She shakes her head. 'No.'

'Have you overused your powers?'

'I haven't used them since i broke the chain on the front gate.'

Genevieve nods slowly. She brings a thumb to her mouth and begins to chew the nail. Aria is a bit repulsed.

'Aria, will you allow me to taste your blood for myself?'

Arias nerves erupt. 'What?'

'Maybe it isn't you. But i would like to test to see if your blood is still clean.'

Aria looks down. 'Okay.' she sighs. She brings her finger to her mouth and pricks it with an extended fang. A droplet of blood forms on the tip, she she holds her hand out to Genevieve.

Genevieve touches her own finger to arias, and the blood smears onto it. She then brushes it over her bottom lip, and licks it.

She is still frowning. Arias imaginary heart beats double time.

Genevieves' eyes suddenly widen. She glances up at Aria, her frown replaced with shock.

'Aria, have you had sexual intercourse?'

_Wow this is awkward..._

'Yeah...'

'Recently?'

Aria nods. Genevieve stands, her chair sliding backwards. Aria stands too, her body made the decision by itself. Genevieve places both her hands on her desk and looks at Aria.

'Aria. You're not going to believe this, and its going to take a lot of explaining. But you're pregnant.'


End file.
